Áine, I know that the lyrics are on a leaflet in the Best of Altan CD for I have a photocopy of this leaflet. This song, however, is unreadable for me (must have been red on green in the original print). But perhaps somebody else takes this hint and goes to his or her Altan CD.

Aine, I can get you the words when I go back to Ireland in a couple of weeks time. There is also a Scottish version. I've even seen a childrens pamphlet in Irish with the story behind the song. Can you post me an e-mail or snail mail address so I can get back to you without having to get into the busy Mudcat Cafe. (I'll leave you to post the words). and I'm looking for an Bonnan Bui - again, I've got it back home, but would like to get words in the next week! My e-mail address, temp. only for this year, is 1997-pr@smo.uhi.ac.uk

words can be found in the book H O Muirgheasa "Dha Chead de Chuige Uladh" and, as "A' Bhean Eudach", in a recent Scottish publication "i dal, u dal". The story and words are in an Irish language pamphlet "An Bhean Ud Thall" by Cliodhna Cussen - published by Bord na Gaeilge in Ireland.

I understand Padraigin Ni Ullacháin has recorded the song, as well as Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh with Altan. And there's a Scottish Gaelic film about "A' Bhean Eudach".

Basically it's the story of a jealous woman who kills another woman in order to get her man and his (relative) wealth. she does so by the ingenious method of combing the married woman's hair by the seaside, and at the same time tying it to the rock with seaweed so that her victim is caught when the tide comes in. I've posted Aine the words snail mail and she's going to add them to this forum and/or to the DT.

'S a bhean udaí thall, a shí ógó O woman yonder, a shí ógó Tá a' siúl na traighse a h-óbó Who is walking on the strand, oh no Nach truaigh leat bean ina húire ceoidh Have you no pity for a woman in her watery grave 'S í 'gabháil a báthadh i mBaile Leóil Who is drowning in Baile Leóil

(An Cailín / The Girl)

Ó níl mo ghaol, a shíogó You're not my relation, a shíogó Nó mo pháirt, a h-óbó Not my friend, oh no Is an uair nach bhfuil, fá húire ceoidh The time has come, hasn't it, beneath the watery grave 'S é bheirim cead snámh duit i mBaile Leóil That I took you to swim in Baile Leóil

(An Bhean)

Tiocfaidh m'athair a shí ógó My father shall come, a shí ógó Anuas fán tráigh a h-óbó Down to the strand, oh no Is gheobhaidh sé mise 'mo bhradán bhog bháidhte And find me soft and bloated Tí 'gabháil i tsáile i mBaile Leóil And see me drowning in Baile Leóil

(An Cailín)

Ní thiocfaidh d'athair a shíogó Your father shan't come, a shíogó Anuas fán tráigh a h-óbó Down to the strand, oh no Ná tiocfaidh mé féin 'na banú an lae Nor shall I come myself 'till break of day A scaoileadh le céaslaidh i mBaile Leóil To free you in Baile Leóil

(An Bhean)

Ó tá leanbán agam a shí ógó Oh, I have a babe, a shí ógó I gcionn a mhíghné a h-óbó Who is dying, oh no Is béidh leanbán eile 'na húire ceoidh And another babe will be in his watery grave I gcionn a ráithe i mBaile Leóil Who is only three months old

(An Cailín)

Ó tá leanbán agat, a shíogó Oh, you have a babe, a shíogó I gceann a mhíghné, a h-óbó Who is dying, oh no 'S béidh leanbán agam ó úire ceoidh And I will have a babe from this watery grave A bheas ina mháistir i mBaile Leóil Who will be the master in Baile Leóil

(An Bhean)

Tabhair mo bheannacht, a shí ógó Take my farewell, a shí ógó Annsoir mo mháthair, a h-óbó Back to my mother, oh no 'S é darna beannacht ó úire ceoidh And is my second farewell from a watery grave 'S ar athair mo chlainne i mBaile Leóil To the father of my children in Baile Leóil

Nár thabharfá mo bheannacht, a shí ógó You would not take my farewell, a shí ógó Annsoir mo mháthair, h-óbó Back to my mother, oh no A bhéarfaidh mo mhallacht ó úire ceoidh You shall take my curse from a watery grave Sáraitheoir do n' clanna i mBaile Leóil Murderer of children in Baile Leóil

Ina méanair do'n mhnaoí óig, a shí ógó There's fortune in store for the young woman, a shí ógó A thiocfas mo áitse, a h-óbó Who will take my place, oh no Béidh beithígh geala ó úire ceoidh And inherit pure white cattle from the watery grave Is fuinneogaí gloinne i mBaile Leóil And windows of glass in Baile Leóil

(An Cailín)

Ó mise bhean óg, a shíogó I am the young woman, a shíogó A thiocfas do aitse, a h-óbó Who will take your place, oh no Béidh beithígh geala ó úire ceoidh And inherit pure white cattle from a watery grave Is fuinneogaí gloinne i mBaile Leóil And windows of glass in Baile Leóil

[a shí ógó / a shíogó] These two terms when spoken or sung sound very much alike. The poet uses a very subtle play on words and increases the irony and emotion of the song with these two terms. The term "Sí óg", used by the Wife in the song in addressing the Girl, can be translated to mean a young fairy, or more applicable to this situation, a young deceiver. "Síog" or "Síogán", the term used by the Girl to insult the dying Wife, is a rope-bound stack of grain.

These lyrics are taken from the the book, Dá Chéad de Cheoltaibh Uladh, ed. Éinrí Ó Muirgheasa, Baile Átha Cliath, 1934 (3rd edition 1974). It is a shorter version than the one performed by the group Altan, but tells the same story. The book, being published in 1934, used the seanchló print. I have copied the words exactly as they were published; however, I have replaced the dotted letter with a séimhiú.

Buíochas le Philippa i gContae nDoire ar a cuidiú leis an amhrán seo. Chuir sí a lán eolais luachmhar chugam fá dtaobh de. Maith thú, a chailín! Thanks to Philippa in County Derry for her help with this song. She sent alot of valuable information about it to me. Good on ya, girl!

a lot of accented letters got muddled in the Mudcat update. But there were errors in the original transcription anyway and last time I looked, Aine had taken the song off her web page (for an update I think). I'm pasting in lyrics for two versions, one via Einr¡ O Muirgheasa and the other via Altan. There are loads of Scottish versions under the titles "A' Bhean Eudach" (the Jealous Woman" and "Bean Mhic a' Mhaoir" (The Wife of the Son of the Agent/Official). APOLOGIES:I haven't put in HTML symbols for the accented letters, so they may transmute at a future date! Also the layout for the translation is inconsistent.

Altan version: "The following lyrics are taken from the singing of Mair‚ad N¡ Mhaonaigh, who got the song from the late Neil¡ N¡ Dhomhnaill of Rann na Feirste, Co. Donegal. The song is sung in both Ireland and Scotland and there are many versions of the words and the tune. This version is in the form of the call and answer song typical of many older traditional songs in County Donegal. The Girl/An Cail¡n lures The Wife/An Bhean out to the strand, binds her by the hair to a rock, and drowns her and the children in order to get the husband for herself. The Wife pleads for mercy and is refused by The Girl. When The Wife sees there is no pity at all in the other woman, she brings down a curse upon her." -Aine

[o woman yonder walking on the strand do you not pity a woman who is drowning?]

(An Cail¡n)

O n¡l mo ghaol, a sh¡og¢ Na mo ph irt, a h-¢g¢ Is an uair nach bhfuil, a shi£ir i ceoidh 'S ‚ bheirim cead sn mh duit maile leoin [I have no kinship or relation with you And since I have not I'll leave you to swim]

N¡ thiocfaidh d'athair a sh¡og¢ [Your father shan't come, a sh¡og¢] Anuas f n tr igh a h-¢g¢ [Down to the strand, oh no] N tiocfaidh m‚ f‚in le ban£ an lae [but I myself will come at break of day] Is scaoileadh le le casla¡. Maile leoin. [and I will cast you into the creeks]

(An Bhean) O t leanb n agam a sh¡ ¢g¢ [Oh, I have a babe, a sh¡ ¢g¢ ] i gceann a ch£ig raithe a h-¢b¢ [who is 15 months old]v Is t leanban eile, a shi£ir i ceoidh [And another babe ] I gceann a r ithe Maile leoin [ Who is only three months old]

(An Cail¡n)

O t leanb n agat, a sh¡og¢ [Oh, you have a babe, a sh¡og¢] i gceann a ch£ig raithe, a h-¢g¢ [Who is who is 15 months old] 'S b‚idh leanb n eile agam a shi£ir i ceoidh [And I will have a another babe] A bheas ina mh istir Maile leoin [Who will be the master ] (An Bhean)

[an cail¡n] N¡ thabharfad do bheannacht Ionns' ar do mh thair, h-¢g¢ ach tabharfad do mhallachtmo mhallacht, a shi£ir i ceoidh 'S ar athair do chlainne. Maile leoin [I won't bring your blessing to your mother But I will take your curse to the father of your children

Is mise a' bhean ¢g, a sh¡og¢ [I am the young woman, a sh¡og¢] A rachas i d' ite, a h¢g¢, [Who will take your place] Beidh tithe geala, a shi£ir i ceoidh [I will have bright houses] Is fuinneoga¡ gloinne. Maile leoin [And windows of glass]

Somebody has worked a bit of magic and the old entries have been restored to clarity. Meanwhile, my sentence above about 'transmuting at a future date' proved prophetic. Therefore I have copied the Neilí Ní Dhomhnaill/Altan version again, substituting HTML codes for the accented letters. For the other version, see Áne's entry of 9/11. Another Scottish name for the song, by the way, is 'Thig am Bàta'.

Thanks for the tune to Philippa. Music from Hugh Shield et al. Sce/alamhra/in from the singing of Neilli/ Ni/ Dhomnaill. this is the same version that Mairead Ni/ Mhoanaigh sings with altan , although they upped the tempo.

Can anyone out there give me the phonetic pronunciation of An Bhean Udai Thall, for us non- native-Irish singers? I love the sound of it and would love to sing it. It is such a marvelous song. Thanks! Sherry

I can't find my copy of "an Dara Craiceann" CD and notes by Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, so I'd be grateful if anyone can post the different version of A' Bhean Udaí Thall that Pádraigín sings and what she says in the notes about where the song was collected or who she learned it from.

Míle Buíochas -- also any update for Aine Cooke's webpages as geocities is closed?

---- Sherry - transliterations, non-standardised phonetics, are read differently by different people so arent very useful. You can probably find an online Irish dictionary with sound files to get the sound of individual words and combine that with careful listening to recordings. Best of course is to find a live person to guide you orally.